Spotify has appointed Palestinian artist and musician Suhel Nafar to guide its expansion into the Middle East.

Palestinian artist and musician Suhel Nafar has been appointed to help the streaming giant raise its profile in the Middle East. Nafar will be based in Spotify’s New York office and will serve as a senior editor to develop Spotify’s Arab Music & Culture Hub.

Currently, the Senior Editor for Arab Music & Culture at Spotify in New York, Nafar’s focus will now shift to pushing a greater expansion. A creative force, Nafar is the co-founder of Palestinian hip-hop group DAM, who paved the way for the surge in popularity of the genre in the region.

Music streaming growth in the Middle East has just started to pick up, with Beirut-based music service Anghami currently the market leader. Nafar’s task will be to execute significant expansion at a crucial time for the streaming giant.

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